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Unemployment Numbers Continue To Rise

November 12, 2013Margaret Elkis

According to the job report released by the Labor Department last Tuesday, only about 204,000 jobs were added last month, pushing the unemployment rate up to 7.3 percent. 204,000 is not a lot of jobs at all, and already the meager number has some economists worrying.

The American public should be worried, too. Not just because of the small number of new jobs, but because the 7.3 percent unemployment rate being reported by the media is false. It’s just another lie our leaders in Washington and the mainstream media are trying to sell us to make us feel secure while our leaders continue to trade away our country’s wealth and resources through job-killing “free trade” agreements!

If these three groups were taken into consideration, the unemployment rate would be about 23 percent!

But what’s the culprit behind the increase in joblessness and economic desperation?

The number of people in the labor force fell in October largely because many gave up hope of finding a job. In fact, the percentage of people in the workforce is now at its lowest level in 35 years, according to a report by Washington Post.

While it’s true that some are leaving the labor force due to lack of hope, some blame our high unemployment numbers on income disparity, globalization, outsourcing, and the loss of our manufacturing industry. Others point to the decrease in overseas demand for our grim job outlook and slow growth in the goods-producing sector. While those are all true, they’re not the main culprit.

The root of the problem is “free trade.”

“Free trade” is unrestricted, uncontrolled access to our economy for tariff- and duty-free goods made for $4-per-hour or less. We cannot compete with these wages so we are forced to choose between going bankrupt, outsourcing nearly all of our manufacturing, or simply selling out.

“Free trade” agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the US-Korean Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), have made it virtually impossible for U.S.-based manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace due to the explosion of cheap, foreign-made products and imports flooding our markets. When manufacturers cannot compete, they’re forced to either close up shop or outsource their businesses. This results in job-losses for the hardworking American.

We cannot continue to operate under “free trade!” As more and more people continue to lose their jobs and file claims for unemployment benefits, our economy will continue to suffer.

Contact your congressional representative and tell them that now is the time to end our job-killing “free trade” agreements. Send this to five of your friends and have them do the same.